John
Heart, Atlanta’s new President of Baseball Operations, made a clear statement
that an overhaul of the 79-83 club was about to begin with his decision to
trade Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden.
The deal to bring the young RHP to Atlanta caused some animosity among
Braves’ fans, as Heyward and Walden have proved to be staples of the Atlanta
club. However, the deal may be the
beginning of a new era for the Braves
While Heyward has been a leading
producer for Atlanta, he has yet to live up to the expectations Atlanta fans
set for him when he blasted the first hit of his career over the right field
fence of Turner Field. Throughout his
stint with the Braves, Heyward showed signs of playing to the level he has shown
he is capable of. While the utility outfielder
put on a performance that surely announced he was here to stay in 2012 with a
.269 batting average and 27 homeruns, his production has slowed since then, due
in part to injuries. With the Bravos
scheduled to pay Heyward $7,800,000 next year and then presumably lose him to
free agency, the organization will be much better suited to cut the payroll and
find a much cheaper replacement.
The 6’3 215lb righty joining the
young Braves rotation, Shelby Miller, will undoubtedly bolster a young rotation
plagued by injury. With a 3.33 ERA in
his three years in the pros, Miller will surely be an anchor at the front end
of the Braves’ staff. Miller was the
nineteenth pick in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, and made his debut in 2012, and
went on to finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2013. In addition to picking up a quality arm, the
Braves also get Miller a year away from arbitration, meaning the Braves will
substantially cut their payroll and have Miller around for at least the next
three years. The deal also brings
21-year-old Tyrell Jenkins, the number one prospect in the Cardinals’ system,
into the Braves’ organization.
This surprise move by Atlanta marks
the start of an overhaul of the Bravos.
With this substantial payroll cut and acquisition of a young righty,
John Hart is poised to take the team in a new direction. One possible move includes dealing B.J Upton
to cut an additional $13,050,000 off of their payroll in addition to losing the
$13,000,000 that Dan Uggla’s contract is tying up after this year. This move marks the beginning of an exiting
time for Braves’ fans everywhere.
Written by Dallas Blanton
Edited by John Shea Harman
